Vacations for Vets Offers R&R to Wounded War Vets - AARP Bulletin

Giving Vets A Little R& R

More than 30,000 U.S. military personnel have been awarded a Purple Heart for combat injuries received during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. For many of those who endure months of rehabilitation and separation from family, a luxury vacation is a distant dream. That bothered former Marines Peggy and Chris Carr of Mason Neck, Va. Last year, the couple launched , a nonprofit that pairs Purple Heart recipients with homeowners willing to donate a week at their vacation properties. More than 250 homeowners and 50 Purple Heart recipients have participated in the program. “The response has just been overwhelming,” said Peggy Carr, 42, who manages the nonprofit. Among the vacationing vets is Army Lt. Col. Andy Kaufmann, 40, of Black River, N.Y., who recently spent a week with his family at a New Hampshire getaway. He was injured during a mission in Iraq in 2004 and is still recovering after seven surgeries in 18 months. The chance to get away with family was welcome. “This was a time for us all to be together,” he says. John Feldman, 61, of Minneapolis not only donated his Florida Keys condo to Vacations for Veterans, but has also contributed his own frequent flier miles to help vets get to distant locations, including Hawaii. “It’s the personal connections that mean the most to me,” said Feldman about his participation. “I get to meet a real hero.” Because many vets cannot travel long distances to reach their vacation destinations due to physical or financial limitations, Carr says she’s looking for donated homes near large military bases and Veterans Health Administration facilities as well as those in more exotic locales. Carr also needs handicapped-accessible homes for Purple Heart vets such as Staff Sgt. Matthew Keil of Parker, Colo. Keil and his wife, Tracy, had been married for six weeks when he was shot by a sniper in Iraq last year, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. He returned to the States for care at two VA facilities and a rehabilitation center near Denver. In April, the couple will fly to Hawaii for a long-postponed honeymoon, staying in a donated condo in Maui that can accommodate his wheelchair. Thanks to Vacations for Vets, Maj. Daniel Gade, a West Point graduate who lost his leg in Iraq in 2005, will spend Christmas in a donated lodge in the Smoky Mountains with his extended family. “This is a neat program,” says Gade, who will return to his alma mater to teach after obtaining his doctorate at the University of Georgia. “The American people want to support the soldiers regardless of how they feel about the war,” he says. He has high praise for the Carrs and their nonprofit. “They’re linking up generous people with a deserving audience. That makes everybody better off.” Susan Q. Stranahan is a freelance journalist who lives on Chebeague Island, Maine. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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